Why We Do This Work

Kimberly Kirschner, LDN (licensed clinical nutritionist), CNS, MSN, LMT, started the Willow Star Haven Charitable Foundation in 2005 as an exit strategy from the successful international real estate business she created and operated for more than 28 years. During that time her parents and siblings had become partners in her business and in the “village” she required to help raise her two children. All hoped to transition to work that promoted wellness in some fashion and so the Foundation was born. One year later her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer, passing away during traditional cancer treatment on December 24, 2007.

The experience of navigating her mother’s treatment and seeking integrative options, often with resistance from the well-meaning oncology practitioners directing her mother’s “standard-of-care,” served to provide direction for the services and education offered by the WSH Foundation.

Integrative Oncology: While seeking treatment options by meeting integrative oncologists/attending integrative medical conferences around the US, Kimberly found a way to enroll in a medical Fellowship in Integrative Oncology offered by the American Association of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M). This provided access to a number of integrative physicians, protocols and researchers, including Dr. Ralph Moss, Ph.D., a consummate researcher who publishes the Moss Reports (for specific cancers) which describe Conventional, Integrative, Experimental, Complementary, Dietary and Alternative Cancer Therapies (the WSH Foundation will purchase the report for cancer patients upon request). In 2017 Dr. Kelly Turner offered instructor training to help spread the message of her research on “Radical Remission: The 9 Key Factors That Can Make a Real Difference in Surviving Cancer Against All Odds.” Following certification, Radical Remission workshops are now an integral part of cancer coaching offered by the Foundation.

Food as Medicine: Many of her mother’s doctors felt that ‘diet made no difference and was not the cause of cancer,’ encouraging her to eat anything she wanted to avoid losing weight—especially milkshakes, bottled meal replacements and any meat, cheese or food she craved. Convinced that “we are what we eat” and finding support and research that validated a plant-based diet to combat disease, Kimberly became certified in both health coaching through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and in Food for Life training, a direct-service nutrition program created by Dr. Neal Barnard and his Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Since 2011 she has offered hands-on Food for Life cooking classes in private settings and for institutions such as the Osceola School District, the Osceola Sheriff’s Office, and The Winter Haven Senior Center, with class sizes ranging from 4 to over 80 people. The nutrition field is fluid, requiring constant attention to emerging research and nutrition theory. In August 2018, Kimberly completed a Master’s of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health from the Maryland University of Integrative Health. Additionally, she satisfied the requirements for the Certified Nutrition Specialist designation which included the master’s degree, 1,000 hours of supervised nutrition practice and a rigorous exam.

Fitness/Movement: Research is clear: exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle will help to mitigate disease, contribute to healthier aging, improve balance, well-being, stress and sleep.  In order to build fitness credentials, Kimberly earned a certification in fitness training through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and has certified in Power Plate and Foundation Training. To better understand movement mechanics, she also became a licensed massage therapist (LMT).

Speaking Engagements/Information and Education: Fluent in Spanish, Ms. Kirschner is an accomplished speaker and has presented Food for Life training and “Environmental Toxins and Our Health” lectures and workshops in venues such as the Annie Appleseed Cancer Therapies Conference and The Stetson Lifelong Learning Program.

We are open for Wellness Retreats in South Carolina!  https://www.butterflyridgemountainretreat.com/ Check our link for more information on our Bed and Breakfast and Retreat Center. 

Biography

Kimberly Kirschner is a founder of the Willow Star Haven Charitable Foundation (https://willowstarhaven.org ).

Health and Cancer Coaching: Kimberly is certified in Health and Nutrition Counseling by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. In 2010 she earned a Fellowship in Integrative Oncology from A4M, the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. She is a certified Radical Remission Workshop Trainer following training with Dr. Kelly Turner, Ph.D., who wrote the bestselling book “Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds.”

Whole-Food-Plant-Based Cooking Classes: Kimberly is a certified instructor for the Food for Life Program which is a direct service nutrition program of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). The Food for Life curricula was designed by physicians and nutrition experts and offers participants nutrition information with instruction on preparing foods to help prevent and/or fight metabolic syndrome conditions like obesity, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Kimberly has earned a Master’s of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health from Maryland University of Integrative Health; the Certified Nutrition Specialist designation from the American College of Nutrition and is a Florida Licensed Nutritionist; she is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition®, and a Licensed Massage Therapist.

Kimberly is certified in Personal Fitness Training (CPT) and Corrective Exercise (CES) with the National Academy of Sports Medicine; she also works extensively with vibration and acceleration technology as a Certified Power Plate Trainer (Levels I and II and Golf Academy), and is Certified in Foundation Training, a fitness program designed to strengthen the core, conquer back pain and help people move with confidence. 

Animal Therapy work: Kimberly and her Pet Partners, Abbey and Beau, are registered Therapy Volunteers with Therapy Dogs International (TDI). She is also a volunteer puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence (CCI).

Willow Star Haven hosts a Facebook group: Health and Healing Workshop Celebration. Please join our group to help further the discussion on the pursuit of wellness.

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